


Of Silent Bards and Charred Witchers

by TheRuski



Series: Of Geralt and Jaskier [9]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:14:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24673699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRuski/pseuds/TheRuski
Summary: .........
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Of Geralt and Jaskier [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596841
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Of Silent Bards and Charred Witchers

**Author's Note:**

> I've Been away with a hand injury for a while. Sorry. I'll be getting back to work now :D
> 
> I’m writing every one of these at like 4 am so please forgive any repetition in ideas or screw-ups in spelling
> 
> This is my Ninth Fan Fic, let's get hype!!!!!  
> Want to comment on something useful? Go ahead! I'll try and improve my writing.  
> I'm sure I have their character types a bit misconstrued but oh well.  
> Yes, I'm aware I probably type like Helen Keller, (Blind and Deaf).  
> Yes, I'm aware some of my contractions are not done properly.  
> Yes, I'm aware I use commas like it's tax refund season.

To say the small island, that the college of Oxenfurt sat on, looked like a war zone would have been an understatement. Bits and bobs of the building were strewn everywhere. Bricks lay in the pathways all over, glass sat on top of roofs, and in what little grass grew on the ground. Bigger parts of the College lay embedded in other buildings on the island. Some pieces had torn the tops of buildings off or lodged, as some wooden beams had, into the ground. Had someone not see what had happened they would have assumed it had been an invasion by Nilfgaurd. This wasn't the case. 

What had actually happened was a particular demon pool had hitched a ride from the cave it had been sealed in, inside the bodies of the men who had perished there, all the way to Oxenfurt where it was slowly devouring the less fortunate and weak in the city at night. After Geralt and Jaskier had left the Small quarry that was the sight of the Demon pools first act of terror, and where it had been sealed away again, Nilfgaurdian forces had come to investigate why they hadn't been receiving any more stone arrowhead shipments. Once unsealing the entrance of the cave, one thing lead to another and the Demon pool had escaped. Now, the demon pool had enjoyed itself sucking the life out of the mere un-suspecting mortals that roamed Oxfurt at night. They were young and proved to be easy targets for the Demons. 

When Jaskier and Geralt popped up on the Demons new turf they had decided it time for revenge for what Jaskier had done to them. So, they had stalked Jaskier and his drunken mates around the town that fateful night. They had followed them from a tavern all the way through the college and into the alchemical department. There the Demons witnessed the incredible stupidity that these boys had gotten into. Un-knowingly the boys had mixed a prime explosive concoction and were pouring it in a drain to make of all things, bubbles. The demons could have exhausted their own explosive abilities then and there to try and take out Jaskier, but that would have killed them, and they needed to make sure they could deal with Geralt too. So, the demons opted to spark the explosive frothy mess Jaskier and his companions had created. And hey, if this didn't kill the bard the Demons would just take his friends as trophies. 

As it had worked out the explosion didn't kill Jaskier and his friends, just merely sent him flying into a bush outside. The demons kept their idea running and possessed his friends and used them to attack Geralt. What the demons hadn't accounted for was Jaskier wising up to the fact he would never be able to save his friends without also killing them. So, when Jaskier had stabbed his friend in the skull the demons had nothing left up their sleeves. With one of Jaskier's possessed friends paralyzed from the neck down he was useless, and with Jaskier mercy killing the other, all the demons had left was their own destruction. So, the demons, seeing as how Jaskier and Geralt were trapped in the burning building with them, they decided to use what chaos they could harness and detonate like they had at the quarry all those weeks and weeks ago. This would surely kill the pesky Witcher and bard. 

This is where the town became a war zone. The demons had harnessed so much chaos that the eruption was massive. The demons were eviscerated. Their goal had been accomplished. Cause as much mayhem, death, and destruction as they could, with the additional bonus of killing the Witcher and the bard. 

Sort of. 

*********************** 

As people ventured into the smoking rubble of most of the structure that was the College of Oxenfurt, all that could be seen was rubble and burned remnants of whatever had been in the building at the time. As the townspeople ventured further, they found something unusual. The area where the ampatheatre would have been was completely destroyed. Well minus a rough area where the stage would have been. There underneath the rubble, partially covered, lay a Witcher and what looked to be three other men. The sight that presented itself was Geralt and Jaskier. Charred hair, singed clothes, sleeveless, and ash covered, the duo lay unconscious in the remnants of the ampatheatre's ceiling. Hours passed by and more and more townspeople had ventured forth from the city to witness the destruction that had taken place. From the wee hours of the morning when the explosion had occurred time had passed, and it was midday. Crews had been formed to scavenge what could be recovered from the college. The west wing had people taking things out of rooms and being carried off by scholars to safer places, the right wing where Jaskier and Geralt lay, was full of people working to uncover the four persons. As time passed the four bodies were recovered, only to discover two of the men had been murdered, and the Witcher and the other man breathing, but in bad condition. 

The citizens pulled Jaskier and Geralt out of the rubble and had taken them to the Oxenfurt Healers to see if anything could be done. The healers had worked their best for a long time on the two men. Jaskier was a bit easier to heal as he was smaller and less, well beefy and weathered. Geralt took considerably more time. So much so that the healers had worked into the next day on the Witcher. In total it would be two days until the witcher stirred from his salve induced coma state. 

*********************** 

Geralt bolted up and yelled. 

"JASKIER." 

The room was quiet. Geralt rubbed his eyes and tried to move. Geralt could feel all his muscles objecting to even the thought of moving. Screw it he needed to find Jaskier. Geralt swung his legs out of the small bed he lay in. What a regrettable action. On top of his body screaming at him to stop Geralt could see he was practically covered in bandages and dried salve. Ech, what a mess someone had made of his patching up. He would deal with that later. Geralt groaned and stood up. 

The door to the room opened and a middle-aged woman with graying hair walked in looking at some parchment. 

"Where is he?" Geralt asked. 

The woman nearly dropped the parchment out of shock. 

"Oh, you're awake," she said. 

"Yes, now where is my bard?" Geralt asked while looking around the room for his swords and upper garments. 

"Wait a minute you're not good to go!" The lady spouted. 

Geralt stopped and gave her an unimpressed glare. 

"Am I not? I don't think you could stop me. 

The lady walked over to Geralt and held out her arms blocking his path. 

"Yes, and I think with a good slap I could make you reconsider ignoring me." She said as she poked at Geralt's neckline. 

Geralt felt intense pain and stepped back. 

"What did you do to me?" He asked feeling where she had poked. 

"Nothing, in fact, I did the opposite, I saved you from even more serious injuries. The building practically collapsed on you." The woman walked over to a small desk in the room and pulled out the chair. She turned and sat facing Geralt. 

"We have some things to discuss before you leave this room." She said inquisitively. 

"Not before I see Jaskier." Geralt growled. 

"Oh, is that his name?" The woman wrote something on the parchment next to her. 

"What do you mean that's his name." Geralt hissed back. 

"Did you not ask him?" Geralt was annoyed. 

"Well yes but..." She replied. 

"Well, what?" Geralt asked back. 

"Nothing never mind. What can you tell me about how this all went down hmm?" The lady seemed to match Geralt's annoyed state. 

Geralt rubbed his eyes again and leaned against the wall. 

"All of this? You mean the demons?" 

"You mean the two dead scholars we have in the town morgue?" She said pointedly while writing more on the parchment. 

"What? no. I mean yes. Where's Jaskier?" Geralt was tired of this question game. 

"The bard is fine, but we couldn't get him to talk about what happened four days ago." the lady kept writing on the parchment. 

"Four days? I'm going to see Jaskier now." Geralt walked past the lady in the chair and pushed the door open hard. 

"Wait! I have to tell you something about him!" She yelled after Geralt. 

This put a cold feeling inside Geralt's chest. What did she mean by that? Geralt looked down the hall at the many doors wondering which one could be Jaskiers. That's when his eyes settled on a door down the hall with guards in front of it. 

Geralt pointed at the two men in front of the door. 

"HEY, YOU TWO, IS THAT JASKIERS ROOM!" 

The two guards straightened up and raised their spears. 

These guards were younger looking but still formidable. 

"You may not enter!" One of the guards yelled back. 

Geralt growled and readied his stance. 

The lady who had been sitting in the chair came up behind Geralt. 

"Oh, please don't, this is a place of hea..." 

Geralt bolted towards the guards at the door 

The guards stood rigid waiting for Geralt's impact. 

Geralt slammed into the guards. 

Every point of contact on his body screamed out in extreme pain, but Geralt was determined to get past the guards and into that room. The guards were fairly strong and were resisting Geralt's pushes and clawing to get past them and through the door, they were guarding. 

"Let me BY!" Geralt was snarling and clawing to get past the guards. 

As Geralt was making all this commotion the middle-aged lady was walking down the hall towards the room Geralt wanted to get into. as she passed by rooms on the hall patients would open them and look out to see what all the ruckus was about. Some, upon seeing a half-burned half bandaged Witcher clawing at a door, quickly ducked back into their rooms. others stood and watched. 

"I think I'll rip out your throat first." Geralt hissed into one of the guard's ears. 

"Boys move aside would you..." the calm middle-aged woman asked the guards. 

The guards obliged and stepped aside. 

Geralt was still huffing and puffing angrily. 

"Yes, this is the bard's room, Witcher. But I have to warn you about something." The lady started to speak. 

"Whatever it is he's going to be OK, I'm here, nothing could ever hurt him." Geralt panted out. 

The woman put her hand on Geralt's arm as he reached for the latch. 

"I know you think that, but there's more harm to be done to a person than just physical." She calmly stated. 

That's when Geralt opened the door. 

*********************** 

Jaskier had awoken two days before Geralt. He had awoken mid-treatment by the healers. At first, all he would do was wiggle his fingers but soon the tingling faded from his body and he was able to open his eyes. When he looked around Jaskier could see he was in a medium-sized room, and that he was surrounded by women in bonnets and robes with their hands on him. Jaskier lifted his head and looked down at his body. He was quite burned and extremely red on his chest. He lifted his hand and saw they were black and soot stained. He looked at his arms and noticed the one with the missing sleeve was just as burned as his chest. something hot must have landed on him in the explosion. Then again it was another explosion so who's to say he wasn't just evenly cooked. Jaskier looked around for Geralt but couldn't see him. All the bard could see was Geralt's swords, Jaskier's own burned and shredded outfit, and the tunic Geralt had been wearing in the ampatheatre. Jaskier wiggled under the hands of the healers and reached for Geralt's Tunic. The healers ow noticing Jaskier was awake tried to keep him from moving. as soon as Jaskier grabbed Geralt's tunic a healer quickly waddled over and threw a powder in his face. Jaskier coughed for a minute before feeling light-headed. His vision blurred ad he felt drowsy. Jaskier clenched his hand holding Geralt's tunic and passed out. 

When Jaskier awoke this time, he could tell something was different. his numbness and lack of feeling were gone. in its place was an extremely sharp pain all over his body. Jaskier lifted the blanket he was under and noticed most of his body from his waist up was covered in bandages. He looked over his arms and again saw that one was more heavily bandaged than the others. Jaskier looked around the room for anything familiar. he could see his mostly burned pants and shirt, Geralt's two swords, and in his right hand, Geralt's tunic. Jaskier felt under him and noticed he was in a bed. Huh, they must have moved him. Jaskier pulled the tunic close to his chest and rolled over in the bed. Oh, gods how that hurt. He would have to make a note not to move much. Jaskier laid there for a minute empty-minded and quiet. Just breathing. Jaskier breathed in Geralt's tunic which made him feel safe, but other than that Jaskier was numb inside. 

A little while later a Middle-aged woman with Graying hair walked into the room holding a tray of food. She noticed Jaskier was awake and Smiled. Jaskier just looked her up and down and said nothing. 

"Hello there, I brought you some food." the lady set down a plate of meat and bread on the edge of the bed Jaskier was laying in. 

"We were glad to see you make a positive recovery. You two seemed to have had quite an accident." She was talking to Jaskier like a child. 

"Do you have a name sweetie?" She asked while pulling out a piece of parchment to write on. 

Jaskier just looked at her. 

"Hello? can you hear me." she seemed to wonder if he still had his hearing. 

Jaskier just looked around the room again. 

"Can you tell me who those two men were? I know they taught at the college but I'm not sure what they were doing there that late." She asked Jaskier. 

Jaskier un-knowingly shed a tear. as it rolled across his cheek it found its way down and onto a spot not perfectly covered by bandages. Jaskier winced and wiped his cheek. 

"Were they your friends? Did the Witcher kill them? Are you in any danger?" She kept asking Jaskier questions. 

Jaskier just looked up at the ceiling and pulled Geralt's tunic tightly to his chest. 

"Well, I see you don't have the energy to talk. That's OK there's plenty of time. Get some rest ill check up on you tomorrow." She gathered up her parchment and left the room Jaskier was in. Jaskier sat up and reached for the plate she had left. He stopped short and let his arm fall limp. Jaskier didn't feel like eating. in fact, he didn't feel much of anything. Jaskier flopped back onto the pillow behind him and rolled over. This was extremely painful, but he didn't care. Even though he could feel it very clearly the pain didn't seem to register with him much right now. 

Over the next day, the lady would come by and try to talk to Jaskier. She seemed more interested in what had happened at the college more than anything else. Most of her questions leaned towards Geralt being the aggressor and him being at fault for the killings of his two friends. She would often ask about the weapons Geralt was carrying and why he had them. Obviously, because he was a Witcher, but why did they look so new. She assumed he had stolen them from a swordsmith at some point. because in her words, "Witchers only make do". Jaskier never answered any of her questions as he just didn't feel the need to. He had nothing to give her that might help with what had happened. So Jaskier would simply roll over and ignore her sometimes. She didn't seem mad at Jaskier more confused and sympathetic. 

Jaskier didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to leave. So, at one point, he got up, gently slid on his burned outfit, and opened his door. To his surprise, Jaskier bumped into two guards. The guards had just looked at the bard and politely told him he wasn't allowed to leave. Jaskier shrugged and closed the door. Guess he was a prisoner here. Fitting since he did kill someone. Over the next few hours, Jaskier mulled about in his bed with some of the things they had taken off Geralt. It seemed like he had brought enough sharp things to seize a castle with. Had he known what was going to happen somehow? No that didn't make any sense. Perhaps he had heard the first explosion that had sent Jaskier out a window. Hmm. Maybe. Jaskier reached for another dagger in the pile he had on his bed. He picked up the silver dagger he had buried in his friend's skull. Jaskier twirled it in his hand and threw it at the door. The blade cleanly stuck right into the door with a twang. Stupid Geralt teaching him how to use the weapons he was given. Jaskier packed everything he had on his bed into a neat pile and put it beside the bed. He could give it all to Geralt whenever he woke up. 

That night the woman with all the questions came in and offered Jaskier more food. Jaskier just stared at it. He couldn't find the will to eat. He didn't see the need for much at this moment in time. Jaskier just wanted to sink into oblivion. Nothing mattered at all. Jaskier was spread out on the bed with a pillow covering his face when the lady set the food down on his bed. 

"Looks like the Witcher will make a recovery." She mumbled while looking over some parchment. 

Jaskier just lazily waved an arm in the air indicating he had heard her. 

"You know from these musings; I'd say you should be happier about the news." 

Jaskier lifted his head from the bed, knocking the pillow onto the floor. What musings was she talking about? That's when Jaskier noticed she was standing with all Jaskier's and Geralt's belongings from the inn around her feet. Jaskier flopped his head back onto the bed. He lazily waved an arm at her again. 

"Oh, all of this? I had the inn keep bring it here so I could get a better idea of who we're dealing with." She was glancing between Jaskier and his Musings he kept written down. 

"You must be the one who wrote toss a coin to your Witcher? Hmm? Quite a catchy tune." She was now talking about his songbook he kept in his bag. 

Jaskier groaned and rolled himself up in the blanket on the bed. 

"We're going to have to talk about the College at some point. It looks like your Witcher is responsible for the fire and the destruction of about eighty percent of the faculties." 

Jaskier groaned again and reached out of the bed for his pillow. He covered his face with it and laid still. 

The lady snapped his songbook close and put it back in his bag. 

"Alright, well I'll come by in the morning and see if you have something to say." 

The lady turned to leave and noticed the knife in the door. 

"Why is this here?" she pulled the knife out and tossed it onto Jaskier's bed. 

"Well if you want anything let the guards know." and with that the lady took her leave. 

Jaskier sighed as the door to the room shut. He rolled over un-wrapping himself from the blanket. Jaskier got up from the bed still holding onto Geralt's tunic and walked over to the rooms only window. He placed his palm om the glass and looked outside at the stars. His friends were probably doing better than he was currently. fogged formed on the window where he was breathing. Jaskier just stood there for a minute before sinking to the floor and pulling his knees to his chest arms wrapped around them. His eyes filled up with tears but there was nothing inside him. Jaskier leaned his back against the wall under the window and drifted off to sleep. 

*********************** 

The door swung open slowly and Geralt was able to take in the sight before him. There was a bed in the room with his and Jaskiers weapons and personal effects sitting near it. on the bed were a blanket and pillow, as well as some plates of food that obviously hadn't been touched. Geralt looked over to the rooms only window, only to see the bard he cared for sat beneath it curled into a ball. Jaskier looked a mess. He looked as if he had been through hell. The bard had obviously been crying and using Geralt's tunic for comfort. Geralt felt something inside himself grow acutely aware of the pain he was feeling looking at Jaskier like this. 

Geralt looked back at the Woman who had told the guards to move. She just looked back at Geralt and gave him null expression. 

Geralt turned back to the room and walked over to the bard beneath the window. 

Geralt opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find any words to say. How would he wake up the bard? 

Geralt knelt before Jaskier and gently shook the bard's leg. 

Jaskier sturred a little bit but stayed balled up with his face buried in Geralt's tunic and his legs. 

Geralt shook Jaskier's leg again. Jaskier swatted at whoever was bothering him. 

Geralt caught the bard's forearm with a gentle but firm grip. 

Jaskier stopped moving and slowly looked up. 

Jaskier and Geralt locked eyes. 

"Hey, Jas.." Geralt managed to speak finally. 

Jaskier said nothing but slowly un-balled himself. 

"Jaskier are you ok?" Geralt was looking the small bard over. 

Jaskier just let Geralt do what he wanted with him and didn't fight it. 

Geralt stood up, bringing the bard to his feet. 

"Jaskier say something please..." 

Jaskier just looked into Geralt's eyes with sorrow for a long moment. 

Geralt could see the immense pain behind the bard's emotionless demeanor. 

Jaskier was the first one to break eye contact. He brushed past Geralt and climbed back in the bed. 

Geralt turned back to the doorway and with rage barely being contained, quietly asked the woman a question. 

"What did you do to him." 

Geralt was digging his fingernails into his palms. 

The woman walked into the room and closed the door. 

"We haven't done anything to the poor man, all we've done is heal him and try to ask him simple questions." the woman went over and sat on the left side of Jaskiers bed. 

"He won't speak," she said folding her hands together. 

"Did you have something to do with this?" the woman asked back at Geralt. 

Geralt was one word from fighting whoever this woman was. 

"Why... Would I have anything to do with this? I only did what I had to." 

The woman picked up one of Geralt's dagger. 

"And what exactly would that be Witcher? Because to The Oxfurt Guard, it looks like you killed two men, blew up a place of learning and a financial boon to this city, and have given this bard a reason to take a vow of silence." 

The woman spun Geralt's dagger around her wrist before catching it by its handle 

"Of course, we have you talking about Demons and whatnot, so I'm conflicted on what actually happened." 

The woman pointed the dagger at Jaskier, who was rolled up in the blanket staring at the ceiling. 

"And when we've tried to talk to him, we get nothing. Not his fault since he's had to witness whatever acts of violence you've committed." 

Geralt stepped to the woman and angrily knocked the blade from her hand. 

"Point that at anyone but him, or you will find out what horrible acts of violence I can commit." 

The woman frowned at him. 

"You'd do that here and now. A place of healing, in front of this poor soul here." 

She gestured at Jaskier. 

Geralt walked over to the other side of Jaskier and leaned down to speak to him. 

"Jaskier my tunic..." 

Jaskier turned his head to face Geralt and handed him the tunic. 

Geralt slipped it on, groaning at some of his pains. 

"He's not someone to take pity on, Jaskier is strong when it comes to it. He will be fine." 

Geralt was about to move from beside Jaskier and back over to the woman when a cold and soft hand grabbed Geralts arm. Jaskier had stopped Geralt. 

"Jaskier I need to gather up our things so we can go." 

Jaskier furrowed his brow and gripped Geralt harder. 

"He doesn't seem to want you to move." 

The woman pointed out. 

Geralt rolled his eyes at her 

"Well, I don't know what he wants from me. We do have to leave, were here for a reason Jaskier. I know losing people is hard. I even remember when I had to kill someone I cared for too. I..." 

Geralt looked up at the woman sitting beside Jaskier. 

"Fuck." 

The woman stood up, backed away, and crossed her arms. 

"So, HE killed those men!" 

Geralt vaulted over Jaskier and in front of the woman. 

"No, He only killed one of them. I killed the other." 

Geralt had just put his foot in his mouth. 

"No, I mean I killed them both." 

The woman looked angry. 

"Now this sounds more believable than Demons... So, you two are killers!" 

Geralt was getting heated. 

"NO! Only me, Leave him out of it. 

"I don't believe that. It seems like you two belong in chains to me!" 

Geralt lost his temper and swung at the woman. 

Se dodged it. 

Geralt turned to throw another punch when her fist made contact with his ribcage. 

Geralt growled and lunged at her. The woman spun away from Geralt, just barely missing his grip. 

"Who are you?!" Geralt roared. 

"I'm the leader of the Oxenfurt Guard. Did you really think me to be a healer? I only said that in hopes of getting you to talk!" She spat back at Geralt as she parried away a kick by Geralt. 

Geralt growled and bared his teeth. 

"You two killed those men! That's why they're dead!" She yelled at Geralt. 

*********************** 

"THEY WERE DEAD THE MOMENT THEY WERE POSSESED." another voice yelled as the door to Jaskiers room flew open. 

Geralt and the woman stopped fighting for a moment as an older man entered the room carrying a jar of some sort of sludge looking liquid. 

"Dad? What are you doing here, you're interrupting my interrogation!" 

The woman was surprised. 

Geralt looked at the man and then at the woman. Should he strike her now that her guard was down? No that would be a cheap shot. 

"Yes, child it's dear old dad." 

he brushed past what was now known to be his daughter and approached the bed where Jaskier lay completely unfazed. 

"Was this the liquid that covered your dearly departed friends?" 

Jaskier looked at the man and at Geralt and at the woman. 

Geralt nodded at the man indicating Jaskier should answer. 

Jaskier ook the jar and shook it. It looked like the goop the demons had secreted on his friends. 

Jaskier nodded. 

"Just as I thought." 

The man turned back to Geralt and his daughter. 

I knew saving you two would be useful. I have just been so busy with studying this stuff that I haven't found time to ask my daughter to let you off the hook. 

"What?" Geralt mumbled 

The woman spoke up next. 

"You saved them. and you didn't think to come and tell me these two were actually fighting real demons." 

The old man shrugged. 

"If I hadn't taken this stuff from the blast sight who knows if the demons could have used this stuff to re-appropriate." 

The old man's daughter leaned against the wall nearest her. 

"So, any killing done by these two" She glared at Geralt. "Was justified?". 

The old man nodded. 

"Wait how did you save us... we would have fared just as well on our own." Geralt motioned to the bandages on his and Jaskier's bodies. 

"Well, I am able to use Pyrokinesis to control the flame. Although flame created by chaos is often hard to control. Hence why you two were burned so badly. But you have your lives." 

The old man seemed proud that he had managed this feat. 

Geralt rolled his eyes. 

"Now that you know we're innocent we have to get going, the bard, and I have to find a missing person." 

The old man nudged his daughter. 

She just looked back at the man as if to say, "What do you want me to do?" 

Jaskier sat up in the bed and lazily looked at everyone. 

Geralt shot daggers out of his eyes at the woman. 

Jaskier got out of the bed and walked over to Geralt. Geralt gathered up the personal items and weapons that lay around the bed. He paused for a moment and asked the old man a question. 

"Who helped you hone your Pyrokinesis, not many people I've met can control the fire from chaos." 

The old man pondered a second. 

"Oh, it was this fine young woman who always wore dark clothing and something purple. Her name has been engraved on my heart. Her name was Yennefer." 

Geralt dropped the bags he was holding. 

"SO, YOU'RE NOT DEAD." 

The old man seemed confused. 

"What." 

Geralt shook his head and picked up Jaskier and his bags once more. 

"Yennefer sent us here for supplies and to find a missing person she believed had been eaten by some slime from the depths. Guess we know what that turned out to be." 

The old man scratched his head and looked around. 

"She's never thought me to go missing before. Perhaps she's missed my letters." 

Geralt groaned. 

“We don’t typically get messages far off in Kaer Morhen.” 

Jaskier slid in front of Geralt and leaned on his sturdy frame. 

Geralt looked down on the bard. Hoping to see some ounce of life in the other man's eyes. 

Jaskier looked up at Geralt with nothingness. 

Geralt sighed and wrapped an arm over the bard's shoulder. 

"You know I still don't think we can let you leave." 

The Leader of the Oxenfurt guard opened the door to the room and potioned for her subordinates to come inside. 

The old man stepped aside and glared at his daughter. 

"You most certainly cannot apprehend these two. They were simply dragged into this mess." 

The woman ignored him and stood alongside the soldiers who were now in the room. 

"Someone has to stand trial for what happened here. You know the governor will not stand for us binging nothing back." 

Geralt still holding the pairs bags growled at the woman. 

The old man pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Seriously, have I raised you to be a heartless woman?" 

The leader of the Oxenfurt guard just shrugged. 

Geralt made to drop the bags he was holding and grab at his swords, when Jaskier did something unexpected. 

Jaskier held out his hands submissively as if he wanted to be taken away. 

The guards saw this and quickly slapped chains around his wrists, pulling Jaskier over to them. 

"Jaskier what's wrong with you?" Geralt shouted. 

Jaskier simply looked back at the witcher, lifeless and empty. 

"It seems like he has the right idea. Now witcher, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." 

The woman stepped in front of the guards holding onto Jaskier, and set into a fighting stance. 

Geralt unsheathed his swords and crossed them in front of himself. 

Before Geralt and the woman could get into it, the old man exploded a flame between the two. His daughter stepped back in shock while Geralt stood ready to fight. 

"Go witcher! This can be solved another day. leave now and you might have a chance to save your friend from my wench of a daughter!" 

Geralt just stood there. 

"Not Without Jaskier!" 

The old man increased the flame 

"GO WITCHER!" 

Geralt peered through the flames at Jaskier. Damn, he didn't want to leave the bard. However, in order to save Jaskier from this overzealous woman and her city guards he would need help. 

"Fuck" Geralt spat. 

With that he turned, sheathed his swords behind his back. Geralt barreled through the window in the room, crashed through it, and out onto the streets of Oxenfurt.


End file.
